Unsettling
by difficile
Summary: “The dead don’t speak. You of all people should know this, pirate," a hideously familiar voice stated, and Balthier sobbed, he cried at the unfairness of it all, holding Vaan tighter as the truth was thrown in his face - Cid was right. Balthier/Vaan.


**_A/N: Oh god, another "up 'til 4am writing fanfiction" night…morning…thing. Once again I asked silvershell to give me an idea for a fic. She requested 'murder'. So after chatting a bit, we established some details before I got to work. Used this fic for my 100 themes writer challenge thing, too._**

_**Hope you enjoy.**_

_**REVIEW.**_

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**Unsettling**

**(oo9: Death)**

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The thick, copper-like smell of blood permeated the warm air surrounding the visibly shaking sky pirate, and the quick inhales of breath were soon outputted by the rapid pumping of Balthier's heart. It was taking more than just mustered willpower to keep his hands steady as he placed his palm over the bloodied chest of the motionless teen beneath his trembling touch.

With chapped, slightly parted lips, Balthier managed to croak out a desperate calling laced with fear and incredulity. "Vaan… _Vaan_."

Heart against his chest, heart pumping to his ears; Balthier's body began to heat up with this unsettling revelation before him, yet he shivered at the empty blue-gray eyes staring back up into his. No pulse was felt through his poorly steadied hand resting on the mauled chest. With trepidation, the jaded sky pirate brought his callused hand up to the once warm cheeks of Vaan, only to shiver again as he felt the loss of life in his face.

Brown eyes, widened to a baronial degree, scanned over the limp corpse (no, it couldn't be a corpse – the boy was _alive_, his eyes were _open._ He still had a _chance_.) for the most minuscule sign of life flowing through the broken veins.

Nothing. Hollowness, emptiness.

Balthier's fingers, lightly stained with the blood of his lover – so young, so full of hope and ambition – raked through blood-speckled, faded flaxen locks laden with sweat and tangles. The pinkish tint that once resided in full, pert lips even seemed to turn gray with Vaan's eyes.

_How could I have let this happen?_ Balthier's mind screamed, eyes never straying from the empty orbs burning into his own soul with their lack of emotion. Once again he tried to call out to the boy – he could still have a chance. If only…

Not all the phoenix downs, not all the white magic in the world could patch up this monstrosity before the man. He could only call his name.

"Vaan. _Vaan, wake up_." Balthier whispered again, voice cracking as it fought through the knot growing in his throat from the steadily-building tears. His only reply was the howling of the vast, lost souls of Giruvegan far off into the distance, far off into oblivion.

Balthier's face contorted into pure acrimony, and he leaned down to rest his forehead against Vaan's. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as those _goddamn_ still, glazed over eyes looked back at him with the apathy of a hume no longer living. Dark blood surrounded Vaan's mouth – whatever had happened, it was recent.

The haunting, unfamiliar scent of death was enough to strangle Balthier.

He wanted to be strangled – he wanted to be taken to Vaan; and if the Gods couldn't give him that, at least… bring Vaan back.

The brunette's brow furrowed deeply as he finally laid eyes on the several gashes across Vaan's chest and stomach, horrified at the myriad of stabs the boy must have endured before being released and falling to the cold, stone floor of Giruvegan.

Balthier could no longer keep up the old exterior of the _leading man_, of the strong, individual sky pirate. His body racked with sobs that shook through each and every bone until he was quavering from the inside, out.

"_Vaan!"_ Balthier's voice raised to a scream, bouncing off the walls and echoing; his sobs of the boy's name was the only thing heard after.

"The dead don't speak. You of all people should know this, pirate," a hideously familiar voice reached Balthier's ears and he looked up, searching rapidly and blindly through the everlasting darkness surrounding him and the corpse beneath his touch.

"_Cid._" Balthier hissed shakily, grip tightening on Vaan's bicep as the sound of light footsteps approached the pair. Blinking through the haze formed by oncoming tears, Balthier attempted to focus on the figure nearing.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. 'Twas just a street rat – not even worthy enough to be called an apprentice by someone such as yourself. Why, now, do you break through this façade after he's _dead_?" the man questioned, and he was greeted with silence before a chuckle bubbled past the elder's lips.

"Quite an easy kill, he was. Though I must admit," he paused, and Balthier heard the sound of a blade unsheathing before flinching at the sound, "I may have gotten a _bit _carried away. Such soft, easily torn flesh he has… It became a game, almost."

"Stop." Balthier demanded, but Cid barely registered the words as he continued.

"One stab in the chest, and a grunt that was rather muffled. A slice through the gut, however, earned me the rewarding sound of – "

"_Stop!_" Balthier yelled again, pressing himself into Vaan's cold body.

Balthier felt the blade near his face and he bit his lip, still staring down at Vaan and watching as the tears broke through the dried blood around his body.

"Would you like to try, my son?"

"_Get away from me this instant, you repulsive, conniving bastard."_ Balthier barked through a sob, gripping Vaan tighter, as if to protect the already long-gone boy from any more useless mutilation.

"You're dirtying your cuffs with the blood of past trivialities, son. How unbefitting."

Another chuckle from the father. Another heart-wrenching sob from the son.

"Venat was right when he said this would bring you back to me, my boy," the gray-haired scientist commented cheerfully, and Balthier's heart pounded against his chest like a Jaharan war drum as the filthy man known as _Doctor_ Cid reached out a hand to the brunette.

"Come back to me,_ Ffamran_. Let the empty skies and loss of petty devotions bring you back down, so we may achieve great things together."

Eyes unblinking, Balthier remained where he was – by Vaan's side – but the look of full-fledged abhorrent disbelief never faltered at the seditious man before him. He remained silent, not able to find any words to say that would make any sense.

Instead he only screamed, body viciously trembling as all emotion was released through this ear-splitting sound of anger, hurt, betrayal, and devotion. He held Vaan as the cry seemed to shatter everything around, and tightly he clenched his eyes shut to rid the image of his father from his mind forever.

--

The sky pirate awoke with a start, brown eyes shooting open as his own ragged breathing and sporadic babbling tore him from his most unpleasant slumber. Mouth agape and gasping for fresh air, Balthier sat up and ripped the covers from his overheated body, disturbed at the nightmare that just occurred and the physical toll it had on his conscious body.

"A… a dream. A _nightmare_," Balthier assured himself over and over again, running a dark hand through matted down, russet locks. He shivered as the haunting image of his father replayed in his mind – he could still practically feel death surrounding him, smell the thick scent of blood.

_Vaan!_

Sweating, trembling violently and trying desperately to regain a proper breathing pattern, the irked young man found reassuring footage on the wooden floorboards of his bed chamber as he tried to step forward.

His balance was off, and Balthier cursed himself as he took in a deep breath to calm his frazzled nerves. He didn't even bother slipping on a shirt as he dashed from his bedroom and into the hall of the _Strahl._ He didn't make nightly visits to Vaan often, but that evening (or early morning, the pirate had no idea) he tossed previous trivialities aside and wasted no time in heading to one of the many guest rooms of the Strahl – the one where a blonde boy resided.

Balthier didn't even consider knocking, and instead twisted the knob and burst in, closing it behind him and approaching the bed with caution.

"Vaan…" the man whispered, fingers grazing the cotton sheets. He remained quiet, reassured to hear the even breathing of the other. The mattress shifted as Balthier lied down on it, instantly gathering the blonde in his arms and holding him tight, taking in the scent of his skin, savoring his warmth and softness and _life_.

Naturally, being tossed and turned and pressed up against another's warmth (although familiar), Vaan awoke with a bit of a start, jumping to life before realizing the hold around him was Balthier's.

"B-Balthier? What are you—"

"_Shhhh_…Go back to sleep, Vaan." Balthier whispered soothingly, combing his fingers through Vaan's flaxen locks over and over again, as if to reassure himself that the images prior to awakening were really just a trick of the mind. "I'm sorry for waking you."

Vaan, blinking and confused at this sudden intrusion on his sleep, sensed Balthier's poorly masked turmoil and slowly wrapped his own arms around the brunette.

Balthier rested his chin on top of Vaan's head, holding the blue-eyed boy against his chest. Vaan's eyes widened a fraction as he heard the rapid heartbeat of the other.

"Balthier…?" Vaan said quietly, closing his eyes briefly as Balthier's gentle touch traveled down to his exposed chest, running his fingers experimentally across the flesh before answering.

"Hm?"

Vaan looked up and kissed Balthier's neck chastely. "You worry too much."

Hoping for a characteristic reply of sarcasm to assure himself that his sky pirate was all right, Vaan's ears perked as Balthier spoke again.

"It is what happens when one loves to such a degree."

Vaan blinked, eyelashes fluttering against Balthier's skin, as he registered the words. Grip tightening around the sky pirate, Vaan nuzzled Balthier affectionately.

"Love you, too."

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**_A/n: lolhappyending. /shot/ I had some trouble making Balthier a wreck, but when you love someone truly, and they are there, DEAD, in your arms, you're bound to break from that exterior and become an emotional wreck, no?_**


End file.
